Process for obtaining radio-active bodies from uranium or thorium, &amp;c.



. A. P. H. TRIVELLI. PROCESS FOR OBTAINING RADIO ACTIVE BODIES FROM URANIUM 0E THORIUM, 6w.

' APPLICATION IILED JAN. 28, 1908.

, 917, 1 91 Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

"known,

; ,shown by Soddy and others, that uranium-X -"extremely long periods of time, ,and that this i To an whom it may concern: I

. vnLL gentleman, and a subject of the Queen uranium, emits al in which a high' vacuum is produced. The

Aimmin "P; n. TRIVELL'I, F

SGHEVENINGEN, NETHERLANDS.

rnocnssfron o ta namo-acrrvn/sonms riaou Una-memos 'rnonrumjac.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 6, 1909.

1 Application filed January 28, 1908. Serial Ito. $18,085.

Be it known that I,;ADRIAANP.1H. Tm-

of Netherlands, a residcntof 8 Leu'vensche straat, in the city of Scheveningen,Netherds, have invented a certain new and useful Process for Obtaining Radio-Active Bodies from Uranium or Thorium or from the Compounds of the Same, of which the following is a s .ecification. v 1 V 7 y the re'searchesof Crookes it has become that uranium as it occurs in nature consists of two bodies, one of which, the pure pha-rays only, while the other bod which has been called by Crookes uraniumemits also beta-rays and gamma rays 'and is distinguished from iiranium as regards both its chemical as well as its phys ical properties. Furthermore, I it has been is formed by itself from pure uranium after conversion continues, inasmuch as from uranium-X other new bodies; are formed which' do not emit any rays originally, but after some time radio-activity. is noticed again all forms ofwhich produce the henomenon of the radium orvof the ra 'um emanation. However, while the conversion of uranium particularly to uranium-X, takes place in very lo periods of. time only, I ve found that this conversion can also be brought about by artificial means in a considerably shorter period of time. This acceleration of the conversion is effected by the action of beta-rays and gammarays of radio-active substances, or of Roentgenrays forinsj.ance, the uickest waybeing the a direct action of catho e-radiationin a'tube action is the more rapid and intense, the more the velocity of the cathode rays increases. For it has been found, that when uranium metal or uranium compounds are submitted forsometime in a tube inwhich as perfect a vacuum as ossible hasbeen pro-. duced, to the action 0 cathode rayselthe'r on an anti-cathode. or an anode, orto the action of Roentgen-rays at any .point of the tube, a considerable liberation of gas takes lace forsome time, "after the gases which ave been occluded by the uranium, have escaped. When these gases aremvolved, they are mostly accompanied The nature of these body is transformed both by itself by luminous f henomena, so that: they elgl'ree with the well Known alpha-rays ofxra 'o-a'ctive bodies.

yet been determine with certainty. At any rate they yieldmthe electric discharge in a Geissleretube very characteristic colors and probably consist of helium.

Vl 1th the duration of the radiation and the continued evolution of gases, the electric properties of the tube as regards behavior in the electric discharge are gradually changed both as far as intensity as well as the a pearance of the phenomenon is concerned.

his is due to the fact, that the uranium has The new su stance is distinguished from-the original product by emitting beta-rays and gamma-rays and "as regards its radio-active properties it agrees 1n all respects with the uranium-X :separated from uramum and from its compounds. When the new product is exposed to the action of the air for a short time,it becomes very quickly oxidized as distinguished from pure uranium.. Being then brought back into the vacuum, it emits a magnificent, very powerful, bluishgreen fluorescence, visible in daylight. In the same manner as uranium-X the new any reaggnt and, still more quickly by repeating t e radiation, into the radio-inactive forms described and finally it is changed again to form new radio-active bodies the qualities of which correspond to those of radium. even without the employment of cathode rays and Roentgen-rays by acting upon uranium or uramum compounds with the rays of radio-active substances, the conversion however in this case taking place slower than by means of the cathode rays. The most rapid conversion was produced with the arrangement hereinafter described and ustrated by the accompanying drawing, In a tube 0) in which a very good vacuum has been produced'by a mercury pump, an anticathode c is arranged in the focus of the consisting cathode b the said anti-cathode of platinum, nickel, tantalium or the like. TlllS anti-cathode is short-circuited with the anode cl. On theanti-cathode c uranium or uranium compounds are placed, so as to present a large acting surface, preferably in very fine distribution-,and the terminal e is connected to the negative and the terminal to the positive pole of a strong inducting gases has thus .far not changed its physical and chemical properties.

without The same effects are produced,

apparatus. After allowing the radiation to go on for some days, while the gases evolved are at the same time removed by pumping,

uranium-X is found to be transformed first into radio-inactive and finally into radio- 1 active bodies again. When Working in this. manner, the action of the cathode rays can E be increased by radio-active bodies, ar- Q ranged above the anti-cathode, so as to prostantiallyasspecified.

duce a rapid transformation.

Similar to uranium and uranium-corn pounds is the behavior of thorium and of thorium compounds. \IVith these substances an evolution of gas is also produced ilpon radiation, the thorium and the thorium compounds being transformed in this manner 1nto a radio-active substance which by a radiation of longer duration is transformed again into radio-active substances with other qualities.

The uranium-X and the other radio-actitfie substances which can be obtained accordin to this rocess are intended to be employe for me 'cinal purposes and for carrying out reactions for which heretofore the ex ensive radium preparations obtained from t e natural roduct, have been employed.

at I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 1. The process for producing radio-active bodies from uranium, thorium or from their compounds, which consists in exposing uranium, thorium or their compounds in vacuo to action of .the cathode-rays, sub- 2. The process for producing radio-active bodies from uranium, thorium or from their compounds, which consists in simultaneously exposing uranium, thorium or their compounds, in vacuo, to. the action of cath ode-rays and of radio-active bodies, substantially as specified.

Signed by me this thirteenth day of J anuary, 190s.

ADRiAAN P. H. TRIVELLI.

Witnesses:

L. KOOT, AUG. F; W.'MAUOK. 

